Local Pest Control Company Uses Disinfectant to Fight COVID-19

Chris Snyder, owner of Quest Termite & Pest in Hellertown, applies a disinfectant inside Heintzelman Funeral Home in Hellertown. The disinfectant is approved for treating surfaces on which the novel coronavirus could potentially exist.

Note: This story has been updated to include clarifications about the disinfectant based upon additional information provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Due to the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic many businesses are closed and others are operating remotely, in order to encourage social distancing and help prevent the spread of the virus. But some businesses must keep their doors open, and one local company now has a product available that enables them to do that more safely.

Quest Termite & Pest Control in Hellertown is one of the first companies in the area to offer an EPA-approved treatment to help stop the spread of COVID-19 virus on surfaces.

“At this time, there is no product that can guarantee that it will kill the COVID-19 virus,” said Jeff Landis, Senior Media Relations/Press Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 3). “However, (with the list) the EPA is taking steps to identify products that would likely kill COVID-19.”

The virus can survive on various types of surfaces for a few hours or even up to several days, according to research conducted by the World Health Organization.

Quest employees recently treated the interior of Heintzelman Funeral Home in Hellertown with the disinfectant, which was applied using sprayers to floors, seating areas and other communal surfaces.

Quest owner Chris Snyder explained that once applied, the spray must remain wet on the surface of an object for at least 10 minutes. After that it can be wiped off.

“Anywhere where people are going to travel, that’s where we’ll hit,” he said.

Quest Termite & Pest owner Chris Snyder applies a disinfectant treatment inside Heintzelman Funeral Home in Hellertown. The treatment is EPA-approved for use in combatting the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Although there was no reason to suspect the presence of the virus in the building, Snyder said using the disinfectant in locations like the funeral home helps give employees as well as visitors additional peace of mind.

That said, as a new disease, COVID-19 comes with many unknowns, and there is no 100 percent guarantee that any one measure will completely eliminate it, he confirmed.

Still, as Heintzelman Funeral Home owner David Heintzelman noted, the treatment will help provide everyone in his building with added peace of mind, and that has value.

He said he was also proud to help support another local business at a time when many are facing challenges because of the government-mandated shutdown in Pennsylvania.

“They care about us. They care about our community,” he said of Quest. “We are proud to have them in our town.”

Like Heintzelman Funeral Home, Quest Termite & Pest has been classified as an essential, life-sustaining business and will continue to operate with precautions in place during the pandemic, Snyder said.

In addition to commercial settings, the disinfectant treatment Quest offers can also be used in residential and institutional applications, such as in police cars and ambulances.

For more information about it or about other services Quest offers, or to schedule a treatment, call 610-867-7378 or email QuestPest@rcn.com.

Josh Popichak is a journalist and publisher who is committed to providing an open platform for objective online local news. Originally from Bethlehem, Pa., he has covered news in the Saucon Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania since 2005. In addition to publishing news on SauconSource.com, which he launched in 2014, he uses Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms to help inform an ever-growing number of reader-followers. He also manages social media platforms and consults with other local businesses as part of his media company, Saucon Source LLC. He is a graduate of Bates College, where he majored in history. Email him at josh@sauconsource.com.

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Saucon Source is an independent local news website covering the greater Saucon Valley area in eastern Pennsylvania, including Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township. The site is updated daily with posts about everything from high school sports to traffic alerts to breaking news. More than just a news website, Saucon Source is a grassroots community resource in which many local residents are active participants and supporters. Want to learn more? Email josh@sauconsource.com.